Layla and her family lived in a large house in a neighborhood full of kids. She made friends easily and Layla would often have friends over to play in her backyard. They’d play “Kick-the-Can” and “Hide and Seek” and run and laugh until dark. Next door lived a grouchy old man named Harry Smith. He would often grumble about Layla’s dog barking or if anyone stepped on his lawn. The kids in the neighborhood referred to Layla’s neighbor as “Scary Harry”. He would often shake his fist and yell at the children through the window to stop making so much noise. One day Layla was feeling guilty for all the names that she and the neighborhood kids called the old man next door. She told her mom about the way she was feeling. Her mom asked her what she was going to do about it? Her mom told her that she would support her in her decision. Layla knew that meant that her mom wanted her to start solving her own problems. After some thought, Layla decided to bake some of her homemade oatmeal and raisin cookies and bring them over to Mr. Smith. Nervously, she rang the doorbell and waited on Mr. Smith’s front steps. When Mr. Smith finally arrived at the door, he couldn’t help but smile at Layla as she handed him the platter of cookies. They became friends of an unlikely sort. “Scary Mr. Harry” was actually a war veteran full of fascinating stories and a great listener. Layla would share her own “war stories” of growing up, and Mr. Smith would give a comforting smile and tell her it would all be o.k.

What is the theme of this passage?

Marcos and Juan were cousins and the best of friends. Their mothers were sisters and since times were tough, they shared a home. The boys had grown up together and they were similar in many ways. They shared the same interests, and even the same chores. They were quite different however in the way the handled their money that they earned for these chores. Marcos liked to save most of his allowance each week and he would only spend a little of it here and there. The rest of the money would go straight into a bank account that his grandfather help set up for him. Marcos was saving up for a Go-kart that he had wanted forever (so it seemed). Juan, on the other hand, spent his allowance like it was burning a hole in his pocket. He was constantly buying soda pop, candy, comic books, and anything he could get a hold of. Juan did not have any money left over to put in the bank. His bank account was bare. Months went by, and the time came when Marcos had finally saved enough money for the Go-kart that he had been dreaming about. On the big day, his mother drove him to the bank to withdraw the money for the long awaited prize. Excitement overcame Marcos as he entered the sporting goods store, and pointed out the “lemon twist-yellow hot rod (o.k. it was just a Go-kart) that he was about to buy. His mother helped him purchase the rest of the safety gear he needed for his new rig. Marcos had a blast riding his new Go-Kart at his uncle’s property. Meanwhile, Juan watched as his cousin enjoyed the payoff of his frugality. Juan regretted his silly spending choices and agreed to follow Marcos’ money management advice. He vowed that some day they would ride, side by side, enjoying the same “fruits of their labor.”

What is the theme of this passage?

Read the following passages. Ballet began as a social dance. That means that it started as a way for people to spend time with one another and connect, not perform for an audience. Some of the first ballet dancers were upper-class French people who lived in the 1500s and who danced ballets to entertain themselves and their friends. Salsa is a type of dance that began in New York City in the 1970s. Salsa began as a social dance. Salsa comes from some Cuban dances like the cha-cha and also uses movements from Afro-Caribbean dances. Salsa is danced to Salsa music. According to the texts above, Ballet and Salsa dances are similar because